Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 20-point run is over, but the Thunder star may be lining up another milestone before long.
On Thursday night, Oklahoma City beat Denver 96-84, and Gilgeous-Alexander ended his streak on purpose by checking himself out with 17 points. After the game, he pointed to the bigger picture, saying he has plenty of chances ahead to “start another streak.”
Even with that streak snapped, the next historic mark is already within reach. Gilgeous-Alexander now has 426 career blocks, leaving him just behind John Wall’s 439 for the most blocks by a point guard in NBA history.
The way this season has opened makes that chase look close to inevitable. He already has four blocks over his last two games, and he has averaged 52.75 blocks per season leading up to 2026-27.
What makes the number stand out even more is that his defense has been just as real as his scoring. Gilgeous-Alexander’s offense tends to dominate the conversation, but he has quietly been a serious force on the other end for a while now. Last season, he posted a 105.2 defensive rating, held opponents to 43.0 percent shooting, ranked second in defensive win shares at 0.179, and finished in the top 25 in total deflections with 199.
With him on the floor in 2025-26, Oklahoma City landed in the 96 percentile in opponent points per 100 possessions.
And early this season, the numbers are again pointing in the same direction. Through two games, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game while putting up a 100.7 defensive rating.
It is still early, but the Thunder’s centerpiece is already doing damage on both ends. If this level holds, 2026-27 could be the season he finally earns an All-Defensive nod.
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